Sambar
A tamarind and lentil stew with mixed vegetables, finished with a mustard seed tempering. The tamarind goes in after the dal, not with it.
- Prep
- 20m
- Cook
- 45m
- Total
- 1h 5m
- Serves
- 6
- Effort
- Moderate
Scale
Units
Method
Tap a step number to mark it done. Tap an ingredient once for got it, twice for need it.
| 1 cup | Cook until completely soft, then whisk 25m | Combine everything and simmer 15 minutes 15m Add the tamarind after the dal is soft — acid stops lentils softening any further. | Pour the tempering over and cover for a minute before serving 2m | |
| 3 cups | ||||
| 1/2 tsp | ||||
| 2 tbsp | Soak and strain 12m | |||
| 1 cup | ||||
| 2 | Boil until just tender 12m | |||
| 1 | ||||
| 10 | ||||
| 100 g | ||||
| 3 tbsp | ||||
| 2 tsp | ||||
| 1 tsp | ||||
| 2 tbsp | Fry until the mustard seeds pop 3m Wait for the popping. Unpopped mustard seeds are bitter. | |||
| 1 tsp | ||||
| 2 | ||||
| a sprig | ||||
| a pinch | ||||
| a handful | ||||
-
Cook until completely soft, then whisk
25m- toor dal 1 cup
- water 3 cups
- ground turmeric 1/2 tsp
-
Soak and strain
12m- tamarind pulp 2 tbsp
- hot water 1 cup
-
Boil until just tender
12m- drumsticks or carrots 2
- aubergine 1
- shallots 10
- okra (optional) 100 g
-
Combine everything and simmer 15 minutes
15m- from 1 Cook until completely soft, then whisk
- from 2 Soak and strain
- from 3 Boil until just tender
- sambar powder 3 tbsp
- salt 2 tsp
- jaggery (optional) 1 tsp
Add the tamarind after the dal is soft — acid stops lentils softening any further.
-
Fry until the mustard seeds pop
3m- coconut or sesame oil 2 tbsp
- mustard seeds 1 tsp
- dried red chillies 2
- curry leaves a sprig
- asafoetida a pinch
Wait for the popping. Unpopped mustard seeds are bitter.
-
Pour the tempering over and cover for a minute before serving
2m- from 4 Combine everything and simmer 15 minutes
- from 5 Fry until the mustard seeds pop
- coriander leaves a handful
Acid last
Acid strengthens the pectin holding plant cell walls together, which is why lentils and beans simmered in anything sour stay stubbornly firm. Cook the dal until it collapses, then add tamarind. The same rule explains why tomatoes go in late in bean dishes.
Notes
- Shallots whole rather than chopped. They sweeten and hold their shape.
- Sambar powder varies enormously between households and regions; buy a good one or make your own and adjust to it.
- The tempering is not a garnish. Poured over hot and covered for a minute, it perfumes the whole pot.